Shock-absorbing device.



A. S.. KUX.

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVlCE.

APPLICATION FILED Dime. I9I5.

31,293.809. VPe'eenteel Feb.11,1919.

F .3. f l

ERT S. EUX, 0F CHICAGO, INOIS.

ocx-arsenic nnvrcn.

.Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. lill, 19H19.

Application led December 18, 1915. Serial No. 68,090.

To all lwhom t may concern.' Be it known that l, ALBERT S. KUX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

' have invented a certain new and useful provement in Shock-Absorbing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shock-absorbing` devices, and refers particularly to such devices as used on vehicles, such as automobiles. v

l am aware that it is old and well known to employ shock-absorbingdevices between two relatively movable parts of a vehicle (such as the body and axle, or other part of the running gear vehicle` springs from the shock is eased or given a braking effect by means of the. shockabsorbing device. l am also aware that it is old to provide such devices in which the relative movement ofthe two artsv or members is free and unobstructed in one direction, as, for example, when the two parts are moved toward each other, while it is retarded in the opposite direction, as the parts move away from each other. As used in the past, however, such devices have been complicated and cumbersome and impractical in actual use.

It is the object of my invention to produce a shock-absorbing device which will accomplish the results obtained by shock-absorbing devices of the prior art but by means of. much simpler, more ecient, and more economical mechanism.

lt is a further object of my invention to provide means for quickly and easily adjusting he retarding or braking action of the shock-absorbing device when the two relatively movable parts to which it is attached move in one direction with respect to 4each other, relative movement of these parts when ythey move in the opposite direction with respect v to each other. Y l

,'Stated in general sists of a brake member which is attached to so that the reboundof the while no resistance is o'ered to the terms, the'. mechanism `used in connection with my invention conmovable parts of the,

relatively movable part of the vehicle, such as the axle, this strap member being preferably 1n the form of a dat rod (preferably longitudinally corrugated) engaged on its opposite faces by a pair of brake shoes which are preferably adjustable and are adapted to allow free movement of the strap member inone direction while retarding its movement in the opposite direction.

These and other -advantages of my invention will be ,more readily apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-l Figure is a side elevation and partial sectional view through a portion of a vehicle, showing my shock-absorbing device as applied thereto, the side cover of the brakeshoe casing being removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a modilied form of brake mechanism, the side cover being removed yfrom the brake-shoe casing;

Flg. 3 is an end. elevation of the modied form of device shown in Fig. 2 with the brake-shoe casing cover applied thereto, and showing means for attaching said casing to a vehicle body; and, Fig. 4t is a horizontal section through a preferred form of strap member.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the casing l is in the form of a square box, which is suitably fastened to the vehicle body la. The inner surfaces 2 of the ends of the casing l are inclined, and are engaged by correspondingly inclined surfaces of the wedges 3, which may be moved upwardly and downwardly by means of the screws 4 p-assing through the top of the casing 1. The inner surface of each of the wedges 3 engages a follower plate 5, each of the `follower plates 5 having pivotally connected thereto a pair of links 6, which, in turn, are pivotally connected with the brake shoes 7 engaging opposite faces of the strap member 8, which passes through suitable apertures in the top and bottom of the casing 1. Each of the brake shoes 7 f has aV spring 9 'betweerr'its upper end and the inner surface of the top of the casing l, so that the brake-shoes 7 are at all ktimes, vheld in engagement with the strap .member 8.

f'lhe strap member 8 is preferably in the dit form of a flat strip (which may also preferably be corrugated longitudinally, as shown by the strap 8a of Fig. 4, to increase the friction surface between sald strap and correspondingly corrugated brake-shoes) and at its lower endis provided with the eye or loop 8b, which engages the axle 9a, or other suitable portion of the running gear of the vehicle, it being understood that the usual springs 10 and 11 are provided between the vehicle body 1a and the axle 9a. I prefer to mount the casing 1 on the vehicle body la in such manner that it is enabled to swing slightly to compensate for relative longitudinal movement between the vehicle body and the running gear, and thus prevent binding of the Strap member 8 in the casing 1. To further the same object, I also prefer to make the strap member 8, which is of suitable material to provide the requisite friction with the brake-shoes 7, of slightly flexible material. A

The operation of the device which I have described may now be readily understood. When the vehicle wheel hits an obstruction in the road the axle 9a is fbrcedl upwardly toward the vehicle body 1a and against the tension of the springs 10 and 11. Under these conditions the strap member 8 moves freely upwardly between the'pair` of brakeshoes 7, 7, the latter being held in light engagement with the surfaces ofthe strap member 8 b means of the springs 9. When the reboun starts and the relative distance between the vehicle body la and the axle 9a begins to increase, the brake-shoes 7 closely engage the opposite surfaces of the strap member 8 since the links 6 are downwardly inclined from the brake-shoes 7 to the followers 5, and the upward movement of the vehicle body 1, which is caused by the return action of the springs 10 and 11l to their normal position, is thereby retarded. This retarding action may be readily regulated by upward or downward movement of the wedges 3, which cause corresponding lateral movement of the followers 5. Similarly, if

'the wheel of the vehicle suddenly oes into a depression in the road, the ten ency to increase the distance between the axle 9a and the vehicle body 1a will be retarded, and the vehicle bod will tend to be carried downwardl with tlie axle, after which the parts will e freely returnedl to their normal positions by the action of the springs 10 and 11 and the free upward passage of the stra member'l 8 between the .brake-shoes 7,7. T e friction between the strap 8 and the brake-shoes 7 when the latter exercise their retarding effect, may be regulated', as previously described, by adjustment of the position of the wedge members 3.

It will be apparent that by means of the simple and economical mechanism which I have just described the wear and tear on a vehicle are greatly decreased and the ease .and smoothness of riding are greatly inengage the strap memoer 8. These brake-Y shoes are provided at their upper ends with the springs 15, which engage the inner surface of the top of the casing 12, so that they are at all times held in engagement with the strap member 8. As best shown in Fig. 3, the'casin 12 may be attached to the vehicle body 17gby means of a screw 16. The casing 12 is provided with a cover 18, which is held in position by screws or other suitable means.

It will be evident that in the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the apparatus operates on the same principle as that shown in Fig. 1, but no means are justmg the friction between the brake-shoes 14 and the strap 8. A

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes could be made in the detailed construction of the various parts which I have described without Vdeparting from the spirit orscope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shock-absorbing device, comprising, in combination with a pair of relatively movable members, a casing attached to one of said members, a pair of brake-shoes withprovided in this modified form for adin said casing, a substantially iat strap attached to the other of said members and engaged on opposite surfaces by said brakeshoes, a pair of followers within said casing, means for adjusting the position of said followers toward and away from said brakeshoes, and links connecting said followers with said brake-shoes, whereby said strap may be freely moved between said brakeshoes when .said members are relatively moved inone direction and the movement of said strap between said brake-shoes will be retarded when said members are relatively moved in the opposite direction.

2. A shock-absorbing device, comprising the combination of a casing adapted to be attached to a vehicle frame, a substantially flat strap adapted to be attached to the vehicle running gear, a pair of brake-shoes within said casing and adapted to engage opposite surfaces of said strap, a lpair of followers adapted for lateral movement within said casing, a wedge engaging'each mesme" e A@ ingl adjusted, and a pair of links extendlmovement is vretarded vyhen.k said strap is xg bfveselr; eah of saldilwers (lld on moved in the opposlte dlrectlon. o sai r e-s oes,sai 1` eng os`e WH,

in inclined positions when said Strap I1)s in- ALBERT S terposed between Said'brake-ShOeS, 'where- AWit-,heenweg by said stra' may be freely moved between B. L.`MOLEAN,

said brake-s oes in one direction while its SAMUEL Fnmnmc. 

